Mixed feelings on my last day in San Francisco: sad to be leaving one of the coolest cities I’ve been in, but looking forward to seeing home and family. I’m sipping my Starbucks Chantico hot chocolate and thinking of the things here I’ll miss (that being one of them). Other things I’ll miss:

• Cheap prices of jeans and clothes in general, either in normal stores or outlets. I bought a pair of Levi’s jeans for $10.84, including tax. $10.84; so good I said it twice.
• Seeing stuff on TV first. I’ve watched the first three episodes of BSG; who knows when it’ll make its way to European TV.
• Big American brunches. As good as a proper Irish breakfast. English muffins go great with eggs.
• Events. There are so many techie events here in the Bay Area it hurts for a geek like me to leave. But it’s also a great place for concerts and shows. We’re going to see Jim White tonight in the Great American Music Hall on O’Farrell. The Pernice Brothers are playing as well.
• M-bags. I love sending home big bags of used books via the USPS m-bag media mail service.
• The BMG music club. 12 CDs for the price of 1. Enough said.
• Lipton Brisk iced tea and Mountain Dew. The latter is not essential, but I like it sometimes. I also like powdered Gatorade (bringing some home).

Product placement in films is driving me crazy. I went to see the Island, and still can’t figure out how Puma and Aquafina and Xbox made their way into the controlled environment of the cloning centre. It reminded me of seeing the impossible Powerade ads in the virtual world of Matrix Revolutions.